A Little Bit of Art
by itokuzu
Summary: A story that involves Vash, come on...you know you wanna read it. Muwahahahaha! Mild cursing later on.
1. Default Chapter

A Little Bit of Art  
  
*Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.bladda bladda yadda. Neither do I own Vash, though I do own the right to lerv him. ^-^  
  
*AN: This just came to me during one of my little drawing spiels, thought a cute little fluff would do me some good. Hope you like it.  
  
Kaoru and Kenshin were both in the kitchen doing their assigned tasks, by Kenshin most likely. Kaoru was washing dishes and humming as Kenshin carefully put away his beloved tofu and vegetables. Kenshin frowned thoughtfully, "Miss Kaoru, it looks like we may be running out of tofu again, that it does. Do you mind accompanying me to the market to pick some up?" Kaoru beamed "Of course I wouldn't Kenshin!" No need to ask her twice if it meant spending a little quality time alone with her rurouni.  
  
"I wouldn't mind going with you either Sir Ken." Announced the purring voice of Megumi, appearing from out of nowhere, a smirk evident on her pale face. Kaoru glared at her making cutting motions across her neck as Kenshin nodded his consent. "That would be nice Miss Megumi, the more that merrier, that it is." Megumi smiled knowingly at Kaoru, "Are you sure you want that dirty raccoon to come too? I wanted to spend some time with you.alone." Kenshin frowned at the insult towards Kaoru, but figured it must be a girl thing.  
  
He turned to Kaoru turning on the rurouni charm as he asked her politely, "Do you mind if Miss Megumi comes? I'm sure you wouldn't want to be stuck with boring old me the whole time, that I don't." Kaoru's eye twitched as she clenched her teeth together giving a curt shake of her head. "Fine," was all she could manage.  
  
So off the trio went, Megumi in the middle while Kaoru trailed slightly behind, watching Megumi laugh behind her fan at something Kenshin said as he smiled his rurouni smile at her. It was enough to make Kaoru sick. Kenshin glanced back towards Kaoru as he noticed her distance from him. "Miss Kaoru, is everything alright?" He called out. She focused on him, dragged away from her thoughts. "What? Oh, yes, I'm fine." She called back. She went back to her thought. 'He's so protective of me when it comes to my safety, but why can he not see me, as I want to be seen.' She sighed before turning her upwards to look towards the sky.  
  
Kenshin shrugged his shoulders and turned back to Megumi when she tugged on his sleeve. Kaoru, lost in her thoughts, did not notice the stone in front of her before tripping. Before she could even cry out, a pair of strong arms caught her. Kaoru knew of course, it had to be her knight in shining armor. She turned a grateful smile towards him.  
  
"Oh, thank you Ken-shin? She stuttered, staring into the eyes of a stranger. They were nice eyes, she decided, aqua colored, almost blue, not quite green. He had spiky blond hair that almost looked like a broom and was wearing strange red colored spectacles that he had perched on his aristocratic nose. His pretty eyes were smiling at her as he righted her on her feet. Kenshin looked shocked, and a little miffed, at the man holding onto Kaoru. Megumi was just confused as to where the strange man had appeared. Not even Kenshin had noticed him.  
  
Kaoru was still in this guy's arms and everyone was silent; that is until the man realized he was still holding onto her. "Oops! Sorry Miss.Oh didn't quite catch your name." Kaoru sweat dropped. The man looked embarrassed. "Heh heh, forgot to introduce myself, huh? Some knight in shining armor I am." He babbled, not noticing Kaoru's eyes shooting upwards in surprise. "Well, my name is Vash."  
  
Dun dun dun!  
  
Thought that was a funny place to stop. I know the chapters are kind of short, but hey, oh well.  
  
Hope you like it so far! Critiques, flames, and just general adoration are welcome! ^-^ 


	2. Chapter 2

"Er.nice to meet you. My name is Kamiya Kaoru." She said cautiously, sending quick glances at Kenshin for any signs that she needed to run soon. His face was eerily blank, save for a subtle twitch plaguing his right eye.  
  
"Oh," She announced, trying to break the ice, "these are my friends, Himura Kenshin and Miss Megumi." They all muttered greetings. Megumi noticed the paints and various marks on Vash's red kimono when her nosiness took over. "Oh! Are you an artist?" She gushed. Vash nodded bashfully. "Yeah, sort of. But I was on the search for my muse for most of the time." Glancing at Kaoru appreciatively not noticing Kenshin's eyes narrowing dangerously. "And I think I've found her!" He exclaimed grabbing a hold of Kaoru's hand. Megumi and Kaoru looked shock while Kenshin's hand moved towards his sword. He pulled it out, sheath and all, before bopping Vash soundly on the head.  
  
Vash looked all teary as Kenshin put his sword with a cry of, "What'd you do that for!" He rubbed his head glaring at Kenshin. Kenshin glared back. "You mustn't touch Miss Kaoru as if you know her, it isn't proper, that it is not." He stated smugly. Vash recovered quickly before turning back to Kaoru, oblivious to Kenshin's reprimand.  
  
"Lady Kaoru, would you give me the honor of painting you?" He asked earnestly. Kenshin replied for her with an outraged tone in his normally pleasant voice, "Of course not!" Boy was he going to get it.  
  
Kaoru gave him a look that at any other time might've caused an 'oro' out of our dear rurouni, but he was a man on a mission and would not be swayed. He must protect his woman. He stared back at her with a look of utmost toddler stubbornness. Kaoru rolled her eyes. Megumi watched on in amusement while Vash looked on in bemusement. All was odd in Japan.  
  
Kaoru turned her back on Kenshin in a huff and faced Vash with an odd glow in her eyes. She beamed at him her smile cheesy to women only, since let's face it; girls can tell these things better than guys. "Oh, that would be lovely Mr. Vash!"  
  
Kenshin face vaulted while Kaoru just kept smiling her fake smile towards Vash. "When do you want to start?" She asked sweetly, a little chuckle escaping afterwards. Vash mistook this for one of those flirty girly giggles and beamed. "Whenever you want Lady Kaoru!" Kenshin started to get up waving his sword around before Vash decided to take his leave. "I'll meet you here tomorrow Miss Kaoru! Same time!" He added before running full speed towards the town, Kenshin still swishing his sword around menacingly.  
  
Megumi watched all this with a scheme forming in her quick brain. 'So, the little raccoons turning into a fox herself eh? Well, I might for once consider helping her.' Neither Kenshin nor Kaoru noticed the little fox ears popping up on her head. They were too busy arguing.quite loud actually. "Be quiet you two!" Megumi said, trying to get them to shut up.  
  
Neither listened as they continued their argument. "You will not be meeting him tomorrow Miss Kaoru, I forbid it!" He shouted, his face as red as his hair. Kaoru gaped at him before growing red as well. "You! You forbid it? What gives you the right to tell me whom I can and cannot see tomorrow? I think he's a nice man! Why shouldn't I get my picture painted?" Then a thought stuck in her head. "Do you honestly think I'm not pretty enough to be painted? Do you think that all men are repulsed by me?" She added sniffling, tears growing in her eyes. Kenshin grew even more wide-eyed at that. "No Miss Kaoru, that is not the reason why! What if he is after me for some reason? I sensed he had a powerful chi, that I did. I do not wish for you to be harmed!" Kaoru smiled slightly as Kenshin lifted her face. "Alright." She answered, still giving a sniff or two to make him guilty.  
  
"Good. I knew you'd see it my way, that I did." He answered smugly. Uh oh.  
  
********************* AN: Wow! Thank you all my viewers! Many of you have inquired as to how exactly Vash got there, and to be honest, I have not a clue. Suggestions might be helpful, but I will be adding Meryl in at the last chapter, so I have to figure out how they both get there -_-; Oh well! I'll figure it out! 


	3. Chapter 3

Kaoru stiffened. She turned to face Kenshin fully, an odd twinkle to her eyes. Kenshin was still smiling at her smugly, oblivious to the wrath he had just bestowed upon himself.  
  
"Excuse me Kenshin, could you repeat that?" she asked sweetly, the glitter intensifying in her anger-darkened blue eyes. Warning bells sounded in Kenshin's head as he struggled to figure out what he had said wrong.  
  
"Um.I knew you'd see it my way?" He asked cautiously.  
  
Kaoru nodded to herself in an affirmative way.  
  
Kenshin never saw it coming. He did see his beautiful Kaoru's face however, just before the darkness took over him.  
  
---Later that night.  
  
Kaoru opened her mother's box of treasures, searching for her mother's mirror. She found it behind some letters her father had written her mother when they were courting. Her father had given her mother the beautiful mirror for her wedding present.  
  
She looked into it examining her features from side to side, frowning.  
  
She did not notice Kenshin watching her from the shadows. He stared at her intently, curious as to what exactly was going on in her mind, but did not want to make himself known. It wasn't often he got the chance to just look at her.  
  
She sighed in frustration, gently placing the mirror back in the box. "Maybe I'm not beautiful, just like Yahiko and Megumi keeps reminding me." She pulled her ribbon out of her hair and let it drop.  
  
Kenshin's breath caught in his throat watching her midnight locks fall wildly around her back. It was not often that he got to see Kaoru's hair down; every time was like magic.  
  
Gently he tiptoed out of the room, pondering Kaoru's words. 'How could she think she's not beautiful?' He wondered.  
  
Kaoru awoke to a pounding at her door. Yahiko barged in rudely, not really caring either. "Hey ugly, aren't you supposed to be leaving now?" He asked. Kaoru waited for the next insult, 'why would a man want to see her?' Surprisingly, Yahiko just marched back out and slammed the door shut.  
  
Kaoru blinked. It's time already? Panicking she searched her clothes for something nice and tried her best to dress quickly.  
  
"Damn it! Who the hell decided to invent the obi anyways?" She growled. She struggled a few more minutes before resigning. "Kenshin! Can you come here please?" She shouted.  
  
Kenshin came hurrying in, sword in hand. "Yes Miss Kaoru? Are you alright?" He searched the room for any signs of intruders.  
  
Kaoru pointed to her obi and gestured her sloppy appearance. Kenshin blushed, putting his sword away.  
  
"Oh." He stated quietly.  
  
He had forgotten about the artist. Without saying a word he helped knot Kaoru's light blue obi. She was wearing a pink kimono underneath a dark blue one with pink cherry blossoms sewn in simple patterns.  
  
She looked wonderful.  
  
"Miss Kaoru, if you don't mind, may I come with you? I have never seen an artist at work before, that I have not."  
  
He didn't mention that he was also going to make sure this guy didn't try anything. Miss Kaoru would definitely not allow him to go if she thought he was there to watch over her as if she were a child.  
  
"Alright Kenshin, but don't start anything, alright?" She said warningly.  
  
He nodded, a glint in his eyes. 'Oh I won't start anything, that I won't. But I definitely will put a stop to something if needs be.' He thought.  
  
* They walked along in companionable silence. Kaoru kept fidgeting with her clothes and hair while Kenshin kept fidgeting with his Sakabatou. He watched Kaoru smoothing out an invisible wrinkle in her kimono, keeping focused on it.  
  
Kenshin sighed and took a hold of her hand. She paused looking at Kenshin in confusion. "You look fine Miss Kaoru, that you do." She smiled weakly at him and squeezed his hand. He smiled back warmly and continued to hold her hand all the way to the clearing to meet Vash. 


End file.
